Something Worth Fighting For
by Colonel Hawkeye
Summary: After the attacks of September 11th, Roy's unit gets sent to Iraq. Leaving Riza behind with some unbearable decisions to make, Roy is wondering what will really be the death of him. [ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, ROYAI, MACI, possible EDWIN and ALMAY in later chapters. Read and Review]
1. September 15th

**Into the Fire**

**September 15****th****, 2011**

_Riza Mustang sat with her husband in the waiting room outside of the doctor's office_. She thumbed through a magazine rather impatiently, watching her husband tap his foot and fold his arms over his chest. She was just as scared as he was, and the results of today could make or break their future. She reached a shaky hand out to press it gently against his knee, calming his shaking. "It's going to be okay."

"You say it," He began, staring at all the other people in the waiting room. "But he's an hour late, and I'm already freaking out. What if it's not okay? When is it ever really okay?"

She'd never known him to panic like this, so she set down the magazine, calmly took a deep breath, and stared at him. His eyes met with her honey brown ones, and she smiled, placing her hands on both sides of his cheeks, pulling him down into a kiss. "If it's not okay, then there are options. It's not the end of the world."

He let out a soft sigh and looked at her with bright onyx eyes. "Yes, but I feel like those doors with the options are slowly closing behind us. We're not even able to show anything for this fight."

She sighed and pushed her hair back, shaking her head. "Don't you have other things you could be worrying about? Like the company baseball game later today?"

"I hate baseball." He grumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Riza questioned with a smirk.

As if a child scolded for being wrong, Roy raised his voice slightly. "I. Hate. Baseball."

"And you hate work. And you hate when I'm sick. Let's not forget that you hate cabbage, either, since you make it a point to mention it every night when I make dinner." She turned to her husband and stuck her tongue out. "Because you haven't learned after five years that I know you don't like cabbage."

He huffed and folded his arms again. Several patients turned to look at them, but Riza just gave a soft smile while Roy scowled. The door across the hall opened and everyone turned to look, but Roy knew before he even heard those words that they were going to be next. The nurse spoke Riza's name, and ushered her into the examining room.

When the door was safely closed behind the couple, the doctor took a seat and looked at Riza, asking her to sit on the table. "I was told this was an emergency?"

Riza nodded rather sadly and folded her hands together against her knees, her eyes darkening suddenly. "I woke up this morning with cramps, and before I knew it, I was bleeding. I couldn't stop it." Roy placed his hands against her shoulders for support, kissing her hair softly. "This is the tenth time in five years."

The man in the lab coat nodded and looked up at her, fixing his glasses and clicking a pen. "How long ago was it?"

She looked up at Roy for verification. He would have been leaving for work. "Six," He replied sadly. "Is there anything we can do?"

The doctor tapped the pen to his lip and looked to the couple, shaking his head slightly. "There are treatment options. I would highly suggest taking samples and seeing where the problem is. It's possible that it's neither of you and its just bad timing. Your wife's health is in excellent condition, I don't see why there would be a problem conceiving. We'll take samples from both of you and send them off for testing. It should be a day or so before I hear back from the lab. In the meantime, Mrs. Mustang, please take it easy and don't overexert yourself. We'll discuss further treatment if necessary."

She nodded and slid from the table, looking to Roy. He seemed to be taking it harder than her, but she didn't ask him any questions. "Thank you, Doctor Alan."

Roy led her down various halls, quietly thinking to himself, trying not to burdon her with questions. He closed his eyes for a moment and stopped, turning to her. "It's not your fault." Wrapping his arms around her body rather tightly, he closed his eyes and buried his head against her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Elizabeth."

Taken aback, Riza gently wrapped her arms around him, her mind reeling with scenarios. He honestly felt like it was his fault that they couldn't have children? She turned her head and moved her left hand to touch his head. "I know." And in a maternal way, she started to rub his back slowly. He seemed to be content there, even though she was sure they looked like idiots. Especially her, with this taller man hunched over her like she was a bug he couldn't see. Her eyes began to water, but she didn't cry. She knew he would prefer her to be stronger. "At least I didn't grow attached to her…"

There was a pang of regret in his next words. "Alice never stood a chance," He whispered sadly. "You had pneumonia, she would have died anyway."

"Yes, but I was six months along at the time, and that's what killed me." She quietly observed, pulling away from him. "We should go home. You need to get ready for your baseball game." She took his hand and started to pull him through the hallways, wanting to avoid contact from anyone for the time being. She'd go to cheer on his game, but there wasn't much chance of her being happy about it. "Roy."

He stopped and stared at her. "Yes?"

"There will be other times, right?" She questioned, looking up at him with her eyes squinting in the sunlight filtering through the windows of the clinic.

Though he hesitated, the older man nodded slightly. "Yes, there will be other times. But…we should consider the options, as sad as it sounds. What options are there?"

She tapped her finger to her lip, before using her other hand to hold up one finger. "Surrogacy."

"No," He commented quietly. "You want this as bad as I do, it has to be you."

She sighed and turned to him. "But if I can't have a baby, then I don't have a choice, now do I? You've effectively ruled out the last three options with just one statement."

"The other three options are?"

"Adoption, fertility specialists, and invetro." She blinked and looked down slightly. "Invetro seems like it would be scary to go through, but it's the least harmful. Fertility treatments come with an added risk of multiples…and adoption is out of the question because you want the baby to be ours." Her amber eyes caught with his, saw the torment that weighed on his mind. "You're really worried about this."

"Of course I'm worried, it took me two years to convince you to have a baby with me, and that was after six miscarriages," He closed his eyes and ignored the stares of the receptionist. "Did you agree because you feel it's your duty as a wife, or because you actually wanted one?"

Staring down at the floor, her eyes clouded over. "America declared war three days ago. Your unit will be shipping out. I know you haven't told me yet, but Grace told me." She looked up at him, hiding the pain and sorrow. "You were going to tell me, right?"

"Yes," He whispered breathlessly. "I was going to tell you but I didn't think you needed the added stress. Elizabeth, don't change the topic!"

Sobering up quickly she turned to the receptionist with a murmured sorry thrown over her shoulder. She explained to the lady behind the counter that she needed to get samples done for fertility testing, and thumbed behind her at Roy. The receptionist laughed at him for a moment, then blushed and looked to Riza again, leading her down a hallway. Another nurse led him down a separate hallway.

* * *

A loud crack echoed through the park as the ball flew through the air. Hughes shouted enthusiastically as Kain ran around the bases. Roy sighed and sat on the bench, looking to Hughes quietly. They were the last to hit, so he had time since Fallman and Breda had to go yet. Technically Hughes should have been an opposing team, but somehow he worked his way into Roy's. "So she lost the baby."

Hughes stopped hollering and turned to Roy, deadpan. "Did she? I'm so sorry. This is what, try fifteen?"

"Ten," Roy quietly replied, looking to the team as they pitched. His arms were folded over his chest, his legs crossed, back pressed firmly against the back of the bench. Hughes was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, hands playing with the brim of his hat. "We started keeping count for some God awful reason. I know I swore to never place blame, but part of me wonders if it's me."

"Hey, don't think like that," Hughes mumbled, clapping Roy on the shoulder. "The important thing is that you stick together. If we really are shipping out next week like Major Armstrong said, then you don't want to leave on bad terms and come home to a Dear John letter."

As much as he hated to admit it, Hughes _did _have a very valid point. He looked to the pitcher again, yelling out an insult before turning back to Hughes. "I'm not going to be here, and it's going to kill her having to see Grace go through a pregnancy. I don't think that's fair to her; especially since her FRG are essentially our whole unit – and Breda and Kain aren't married."

"Yes, but that's why it's called a _Family _Readiness Group, because it's open to anyone outside the realm of husbands and wives that are family. Kain's mom is leading the group, actually." With a sideways glance over at Roy, Hughes left out a sigh. "I know it's going to be hard on her, but there will be other women there, and Fallman's wife is infertile, so it's not as though Riza will be alone on the subject…it's just hard to talk about."

"We don't _know _that she's infertile, we just got tested today. I think it's me, honestly." When his name was called, he gave one last look to Hughes and bit his lip. "Could this have been a mistake, Hughes? What if I wasn't supposed to marry her?"

"She gave up her career for you. I think it's too late to start doubting it now." Hughes replied shoving him off onto the field. "Hit a home run."

"I will _not_ hit on a hobo!" Roy screamed back.

Hughes shook his head. "Get your hearing checked, old dog."

Grace chewed on a hot dog while watching the game, shouting as enthusiastically as Hughes was whenever someone hit the ball. She laughed when Kain finally made it around the bases, screaming something about him being the fastest at everything. She turned casually when she heard Riza asking her a question.

"Did you decide on a name?" Riza repeated, watching the game. Her knees were drawn together, but her legs were spread apart. She was watching as her husband sauntered up to the bat. "I always was partial to Christine."

"Alicia." Grace replied with a soft smile. "Alicia May Hughes."

Riza smiled sadly. "I get it. Alicia after your mother in law, and May as in _Maes_. Clever."

"We thought so, too." Grace finished her hot dog and looked at Riza for a moment. "How are you guys doing on that front? Any progress?"

"Miscarried this morning," Riza replied quietly, smiling as her husband hit the ball hard enough to run the bases. She stood quickly and shouted at him. "Come on, Roy! You better come home, or your ass is in the street tonight!"

"Don't you think that was a little unfair?" Grace laughed, regardless of feeling saddened by the topic.

"No, what would be unfair is if Maes can't manage to steal home base." Riza smiled and watched Roy run around the bases, sliding into home just as the runner caught the ball. She knew that getting the mud stain out of his uniform later would be worth it when he bragged about how he helped win the game. "We sent for fertility testing today. Hopefully I get some answers soon. This has been wearing a giant hole in our relationship. He can't look at me without blaming himself."

"He needs to stop blaming himself, because it's not his fault." Grace sighed and watched Hughes stumble up to the bat. "He's going to fail miserably. He's no good at sports."

Hughes turned to the stands and screamed; "This one's for little Alicia! Daddy's gonna make you proud, baby girl!" And then missed the ball…all three times.

Grace shook her head with a slight sigh and looked to Elizabeth again, ignoring her husband as he screamed that the play was a foul. "Are you going to be okay if the unit ships out?"

"I don't have a choice." Riza sighed. "Since the attack, there's nothing I can really say. He should have been there helping to look for bodies. He still could be."

"That wasn't his call," Grace frowned and gently brushed a hand through Riza's hair. "I know you're really beat up about all of the last few events, but have you considered that maybe three days ago is the reason you lost the baby? He was out of contact in the middle of New York for almost two hours, that couldn't have been healthy for her."

She _had _considered that, but she never actually brought the idea up to him. She didn't want him thinking that it was his fault that they lost the child. She was only three months deep, so she knew it wasn't a huge loss, but each time it slipped through his fingers, it made him break just a little more. She knew there wasn't much longer before she lost him. "They were talking about it in the office today. They said that they're sending at least ninety troops overseas to begin with, just to see where it goes. I know he heard them talking. I imagine that's why he was so upset in the waiting room."

"We're all having someone sent over," Grace replied, watching the men come up the bleachers. "The point is, it's nobody's fault, and if he blames you – I'll hurt him myself."

Both women stood to meet their husbands. Riza leaned over to brush some dirt off Roy's cheek, and flicked his hair to shake the dust loose. "Congratulations on your game winning hit."

Roy smirked and kissed her head. "Thank you, _Queen_." He turned to Hughes. "_You _on the other hand, could have done _so much better _than that hit. What do you even call that?!"

Hughes didn't answer him. Instead he grabbed Grace's hand and pulled her down the stands. "We're going home. You have much to discuss with the wife," Hughes smirked. "Sorry about throwing you under the bus!"

Confused for a moment, Roy turned to Riza. "Oh God, you're angry. I know those eyes. You're mad at me."

She moved her hands to her hips and glared at him. "Okay, maybe just a little bit. But I'll get over it." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Let's go home, okay? It looks like it's going to rain. We'll talk about this some other time."

He nodded and walked with her down the bleachers. "Hey, Riza?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

* * *

He couldn't sleep. He noticed that there was a soft patter of rain against the window sill, and he could hear the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Hayate scampered up to the bed and lay at the foot of it, watching Roy. Roy frowned and put his arm around Riza's body, pulling her tiny frame closer to his for warmth. "Are you awake?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Roy questioned.

"Why didn't you stay in New York?" Riza asked, turning so she could lay her head against his bare chest. "Was it because Grace called you?"

"I was already getting off of the train when I heard the radio and sirens. I was home before it even happened, but my command was put under lockdown so I couldn't call to tell you," He whispered, holding her closer to his body, trembling slightly. "It's been really hard, hasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think we'll ever be parents?" Roy questioned, kissing her hair.

She looked down, bringing her fists up to his chest, closing her eyes. "Some day, after we atone for our sins, I'm sure we'll be blessed. But right now, you've got a war to fight."

"Promise me you won't leave me when I'm gone. I don't want to have to come home and find you gone. My heart would break." He held her a little too close, so she pulled away slightly. He took this as a bad sign. "Elizabeth, please."

"I'm not going to leave while you're gone. Get some rest. You have a busy day tomorrow."

* * *

**_This story is going to be very heavily driven by reviewer response. I say that because there are still huge factors I haven't decided on. So I'm going to put a question at the end of each chapter, and depending on what I get the most responses on, I'll use._**

**_This is an AU work of fiction that takes place in the present time. The reason I did this is because I've had this idea rattling around in my brain for a year now and wanted to work it out into a story. I've been really hesitant about posting it because I know 9/11 is a really sensitive issue. I will not make a joke out of any of the topics in this; all of them have affected me in real life, so I'm writing out my feelings in a peculiar way. My dad and brother are both serving in the military, and I myself had an interest at one time, so I expect to be pretty on-par with military terms._**

**_As for the "She gave up her career" statement that Hughes made, that will be explained in the next chapter. There will be two questions at the end of this chapter;_**

**_[One] Should they have a baby?_**

**_[Two] Should Roy be able to use alchemy?_**

**_As per my typical style, five reviews is sufficient to keep going, but I'm expecting a little more than that. I usually won't go with an even number for votes. But, yes. Read and review._**


	2. September 16th

**September 16****th****, 2011**

_In the middle of what seemed to be a pretty awesome dream, _a shrieking was heard. At first, it startled the older man, until he realized that the shrieking was his alarm clock. Reaching over his wife's slumbering body, he slammed a hand onto the infernal device, cursing its existence. Rolling onto his side, he snuggled closer to his wife, only to get a face-full of fur. That was _not normal._

He rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his face, listening to the birds chirp far too happily outside the window. Half tempted to throw a shoe at the window, he paused when he saw Riza step out of the bathroom adjoining the bedroom. She had her hair swept up in a clip, her cheeks a nice rosy pink from the heat of the shower. She looked so gorgeous like that. With the towel clutched firmly to her chest, covering all the important parts, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked over her shoulder at him. "Morning lovely," He whispered kissing her neck.

"I didn't sleep." She grumbled.

He frowned and pulled the clip from her hair, letting the soft blonde locks fall freely at her back, cascading over the tattoo to cover it. "I know." He gently brushed a strand behind her ear before kissing her neck. "But there's always after I leave."

"It's going to be even harder to sleep then," She frowned and slightly turned to him. "Roy, what exactly are you going to be doing over there? The news reports are so vague…I know you're a soldier, first and foremost, but what does that mean, really? Are you just a pawn to them?"

Roy didn't look at her for a while. Instead, he stayed there, propped on his palms as if doing a push up, and listened to her talk. He brought his feet forward and sat on his knees, looking to his beautiful wife with a soft smile. "I know you're worried, but I trust my superiors. And it isn't fair to send my men over there without suffering with them, as stupid as that sounds. Havoc would not do well leading a team of men into war."

"It just seems a little unfair."

He went to kiss her again, but she was already out of his grasp. The blonde was busy digging through the dresser for something to wear. Personally, if she could walk around all day naked, that was fine in his book. He didn't speak a word of his secret desire as he sat on the bed, watching his wife move through the room to get ready. "How long have you been up?" He finally ventured.

"Since six," She whispered sadly. "I have to take my medicine each day at the same time; I don't want to break that cycle."

"Right, I forgot." He sighed quietly and looked at her reflection in the mirror. At thirty years old with hollow eyes, he still felt she was the most beautiful woman in the entire world. And when she stepped into a room full of people, she was always the first person he laid eyes on. This relationship was wearing a hole in her heart and he wasn't the only one who could feel it. They hadn't talked about that since the night before, and part of him wondered if she was avoiding it. "Riza."

It wasn't a question. She turned to look at him, hair falling slightly to the side. "Yes, Roy."

"Do you really want a baby?" He questioned; voice suddenly shaky. He had so much command that he was used to demanding answers, but his wife had a way of making him weak. "It's fine if you don't." The blush that crept to his cheeks kind of gave him away.

The heartbreaking expression that crossed her features made him want to cry. As she slipped into her shirt and pants, fixing her hair into the usual bun, she didn't say anything to him. Time passed before she finally stopped to look at him. "I made you breakfast, you're going to have a busy day today so I didn't want to push you too hard. Come with me and we'll talk."

Roy nodded and smiled to his wife, pushing the blankets aside. He didn't wear a shirt the night before. Regardless of it being September and freezing in Philadelphia, he found it hot and sweaty in the apartment. Havoc always laughed when he came in the middle of the night for the Colonel, because he always was shirtless. Though the man donned plain green sleeping pants, he couldn't help but feel under dressed against his wife in her white blouse and black dress pants. Part of him wondered what the occasion was.

The table was set rather elegantly, even if it was just breakfast. That was one of the better things about his wife; she always made sure to make it feel like he was in a fancy restaurant. He came from money, which was no lie, so she always tried to make him feel like he was still at home, even with the little they had. And he loved it; he loved their home. It wasn't so much that she tried, but because it was _theirs_ and because _they built it together_. The man took a seat at the table while she sat across from him, gingerly sipping on a glass of tea she'd left behind to cool off a little bit. He loved that about her; she was always drinking peppermint tea.

"When I was living with dad, in all honesty, I thought he was a lunatic. I missed mom. Ever since the accident when I was four, dad had gone crazy. I honestly wasn't expecting much from him as a father anymore; he couldn't look at me without seeing mom. He was hell-bent on perfecting some kind of alchemy. I'm going to be honest, I don't believe in witchcraft. Alchemy seems stupid and pointless; magic doesn't exist. He hated when I spoke out to him, as I'm sure you remember. When you left me to go into the academy, he got worse. He felt like you betrayed him. For whatever reason, my dad believed you were going to sell his secrets for trade." She sighed and took a sip of tea, looking to him. "He would lock himself in his room and ramble on about flame alchemy, and how it had to be perfected before he died; because it would save millions of lives. Whatever he was talking about, I don't know. When he branded me that was when I knew I didn't want to have kids."

"He didn't just brand you," Roy grumbled showing his hand as he munched on a slice of toast. "He branded me, as well."

"I always thought there was significance to it, but then I realized I think he was just trying to say we were both his. I don't get the salamander; I guess that's just his thing." She looked down at her haggard reflection in the tea, questioning where the time went. Would she ever forgive her father? "I was a _possession _to him, Roy. He treated me like an item, and if I was a few minutes late for dinner, he beat me mercilessly, within inches of my life. He'd pick me up crying, say he was sorry, and baby me for a while, and then just do it again the next day. He wasn't right. I don't want any child of mine to go through that. What if it's genetic?"

Roy reached a hand across the table to hold hers, spinning her ring under his index finger. "I have faith in you. You changed your mind, or else you wouldn't be this upset about it."

"You're right, I am upset," Riza whispered, pulling her hand away. He flinched visibly when she moved so sharply. "I'm upset because you deserve this much."

"I _deserve _this much?" He finished munching on the toast and stared at her, his one brow raised. "No, it isn't about _what I want_. I want to know _what you want_."

"I want a baby." She looked down at her hands, crossed in her lap now. She grew quiet, her hair fell framing her face, and her eyes began to water slightly. "I want a baby that I can raise to love and accept everyone, to take for walks when it's sunny, to share my love of autumn and books with. I want a baby to be here for me with unyielding compassion and acceptance when you're gone. I want a baby that I can change the world with."

Roy smiled, which slowly crept into a smirk. "We'll give you a baby then."

"But we don't know what the results are yet, and you're leaving in a week." She looked down slightly, using a spoon to stir some honey into her tea. "And frankly, I'd love for you to be here to help raise him."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon; trust me." He smirked and jumped slightly when the phone rang. Riza moved to answer it, since it was sitting right on the counter in the kitchen. There was a large opening in the kitchen that made it appear as if it were an order window. He looked up and watched her hesitantly pick up the phone.

"Hello?" She paused and nodded slightly. "Oh, hello Anastasia. Isn't Doctor Alan in? I see. Well, I'll listen to what you have to say then…just one second, please." She pressed the button for speaker phone and looked to Roy, already fearing the worst.

"After reviewing your paperwork and test results, Mrs. Mustang, it seems as though you and your husband are at top physical condition. We tested for all variables, and none have come up. Your ovaries are in fine working order, your uterus is hospitable, and your eggs are all healthy. Your husband's numbers are just as good. I can't fathom what the problem may be."

Roy was shocked. He was expecting something like this, but not to this magnitude. To know she could very easily conceive, and not even be able to carry full term was heart wrenching to both of them. He quickly vacated his spot and went to move next to his wife, wrapping his arms around her body. "Thank you, Mrs. Anastasia," Roy murmured hanging up the phone. He held his wife tightly as she turned in his arms and laid her head against his chest.

"What's wrong with me? Why can't I have a baby?" Riza began to cry, her body wracked with tears. "It's not fair! She said I was perfectly healthy!"

"There are other factors, Elizabeth. I'm sure I don't help, and the stress with my job can't help either," He kissed her hair and stayed entangled with her, rubbing her back to calm her down. "I know you think it's your fault, but it's not. We swore not to place blame."

"You think it's my fault, too!" Riza screamed.

"No!" He shouted back. "I think it's _my fault _for not being there enough for you. You shouldn't have to go through this alone, and I'm _leaving you here_ with your best friend who's pregnant, and going to _war_. That's not fair to you. You deserve so much better, and frankly, I don't know why you don't just ask for a divorce."

She froze, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "I wouldn't leave you, even if my life depended on it. You make me far too happy to do something stupid like that."

He closed his eyes and kissed her hair again, moving his arm to rest on the back of her neck. Brushing her hair softly behind her ears, he kissed her again, this time his lips lingering against hers. "We're going to keep trying until we have one."

"What's the point? I'll just keep suffering through a miscarriage without even knowing why." She grumbled, shoving him away. The anger that was underlying in her tone made him hesitate to speak to her. "Just go get ready for work and forget it."

Finally he had enough. His voice rose slightly to the tone he used at work. He already had a deep voice as it was, but it was always softer when he spoke to her. This time there was a biting edge to it that kept her in line when she got hysterical. "You listen to me, and you listen well, Elizabeth Anne Mustang. You don't have a choice now. You told me what you wanted, and I intend to get it for you. If you suffer, well, I'll suffer right along with you. You're not getting away with it that easily. I _refuse _to let you give up now. You didn't survive hell on earth just to quit when it gets a little tough. Let me guide you. Let me be the strength when you can't stand. Elizabeth, I want you to be happy. If this makes you happy, then why push it away?"

"Because it's impossible." She whispered.

He smirked. "What have I told you about the impossible?"

"I don't know, what did you tell me about the impossible?"

Sigh.

"I told you that nothing is impossible when you have your heart set on it. You married me, didn't you?" He smiled again. "As I recall, six years ago, I was quite the skirt chaser when I was at West Point."

"We had a history, that's different." She let her head rest against his bare chest for a while, staring at the large wound on his abdomen from a training accident many years ago. They had only been married a year when she got a call that someone didn't let go of the grenade in time during training and he wound up taking shrapnel. After arriving at the hospital an hour later, he insisted she didn't leave because he wanted to have her there the entire time he was in surgery and when he came back, she had to be the first thing he saw. "We've always had history."

"It isn't different; it makes you every other girl in the world. And at the time, you were. I was looking for a girl to replace you because you turned me down in high school. No one was you. Only you can be you." He gave a nervous smile and kissed her hair. "Elizabeth, we've been through a lot. You deserve a chance at true happiness, and no matter what, I'm going to give that to you – even if it kills me."

"You better _not _die over there, Roy Christopher Mustang! I will _never _forgive you!"

* * *

Although a heavy weight was lifted off of her shoulders knowing there was nothing _physically _wrong that prevented her from conceiving, she still knew that he wouldn't be around much to help her on that aspect after the next two days. So, she decided to enlist the help of the two people she knew could give it. Burying her hands deeper in her pockets to protect them from the chilly autumn air, she rang the doorbell outside the large estate. A woman with dark black hair answered the door, her blue eyes bright. "Daughter!"

Riza smiled and allowed the woman to hug her. "Sorry, Rena, it's really cold out here. Is it okay if I come in for a little bit? There's something I kind of wanted to talk to you about."

"Ah, of course." The elderly woman led her through the foyer, ushered her to put her jacket and scarf on the rack, and brought her into a rather large open area with a stack of library books on the table. She waved her hand out for Riza to sit on the plush couch. "So, is this about our son?"

She nodded and looked down at the floor, tracing the pattern in the carpet with her brown eyes. "Yeah. We…we finally decided we want a baby."

"Eeek! Finally!?" The shriek that followed Riza's nod probably made Hayate go deaf, but it was worth it to see the joy written on the older woman's features. "A grandbaby! Ah! I'm so excited!"

"Don't get too excited," Riza commented, her eyes catching Rena's confused blue ones. "I can't conceive."

Rena blinked for an eternity before speaking up. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, that's the thing. The doctors say no, but I keep miscarrying." She frowned and leaned back. "I don't know what to do. I know that when he gets sent overseas, the military gives him the option to freeze some…uh…y'know, and I was wondering if you would help me with a present for him."

"Hmm…well, it seems a bit risky because he doesn't like surprises and you might end up hurt, but if it's for my darling daughter-in-law, I'll do it. So what did you have in mind, twisted sister?"

Riza gave a shy smile. "I was going to see if you could give me the money to get invetro done. That way I can surprise him later if I manage to get pregnant after all. Wouldn't that be a nice little joy for him?"

"Isn't it risky with him being overseas? There's a war going on. People are dying, Elizabeth. Is now really the time to be a romantic?" Rena inquired, toying with one of the books on the table. "I mean…thousands of people so far…"

"I know, and that's why I want to do this for him. He's going to have a lot of pressure being over there, and he may lose sight of what he's doing it for. So if I can manage to give him a reason to be happy – then…"

"He loves you, he's always happy. He's like a puppy when he talks about you. He's always so excited."

"I know," Riza continued, sighing softly. "But, he feels he has no reason to be over there. Protecting me would be his reason, but I can do that on my own. I was a double Hawkeye, after all."

"Ironic, seeing as your maiden name is Hawkeye," She smiled again. "I'll do it. I'm sure Rowland wouldn't have a problem with it. Lord knows we've got the money to spare. We donated quite a bit to the victims, but there's still a lot left over."

Riza didn't have to ask if by a lot she meant 'millions' because it was pretty obvious. Rena and Rowland had become wealthy because of some program that Rowland had invented for the computer that helps test for certain types of problems in databases. He sold the rights to another company and made millions from it; every year they send him a royalty check. And Rena had started out as a lounge singer a long time ago, working her way up to the big leagues later down the line. Roy had a very nice singing voice, and it was no secret he got his father's intelligence. "Thank you, Rena. I hope I can give you happiness as well."

"Having you as a daughter-in-law is happiness enough. And if our son comes home alive, then I'll truly be happy. I'll tell Rowland about your plan. You're aware his birthday is September 29th, am I correct?" Rena gave a slight nod in her direction. "I'm sure you'll come up with something. Let's just pray that this works for now."

* * *

_**This was a hard chapter to write because I'm conflicted about how I want to go about doing this. I have a general idea, so I'm probably going to do it that way. I actually have a little list sitting next to me in a notebook of ideas I jotted down that are going to be canon in this story. I should probably explain the "I don't believe in witchcraft" statement.**_

_**Since this is 2011, alchemy has long since been phased out of society. It used to be viewed as an art form, but because it only affects maybe .02 percent of the population, it's been deemed as non-existent. So, to her, this is witchcraft because she doesn't understand how it works, and she's never seen it first-hand. Now, in society, if you are an alchemist and do not join the military, you will be executed. This will be explained in-depth later.**_

_**Also, I've hinted at the "she gave up her career for you" statement, in the sense that she quit the military to marry him, but they were never really under each other's command so it wouldn't have been fraternization. She quit because her contract ran out and she didn't feel compelled to go back because of a mental disorder (which was also hinted at with the medication statement in the beginning of this chapter).**_

_**A "double Hawkeye" is someone who hit all the targets in the rifle test both times.**_

_**This is going to be a modern twist on everything, so expect some of what you know, and some modern spins on what you already know. Two questions again. Also, if I haven't answered the questions this chapter – don't worry, they'll be answered in due time. I'm just asking them to get ideas for later chapters. Every five chapters I'll post the notes related to the chapters if it's not explained in the story. Any further questions, feel free to ask in a comment and I'll message you back or address it in chapter 6.**_

_**[ONE] I'm thinking baby names. Any ideas? I need one boy and one girl name, since I haven't decided on gender. I'll list the results in the next chapter and have the reviewers vote on the best one. :)**_

_**[TWO] Everyone knows you can't have Full Metal Alchemist without including Ed, Al, and Winry. What's the popular verdict on that; should I have Ed and Al make an appearance?**_

_**LAST CHAPTER RESULTS;**_

_**[Baby]**_

_**Yes: 7  
No: 1**_

_**[Alchemy]**_

_**Yes: 7  
No: 1**_


End file.
